Since our check-in a little over a year ago, The Academy Museum has made significant progress. The glass dome has been installed on the sphere, and the scaffolding has been removed to unveil the newly restored facade of the old May Co building.
The $388-million museum is being built by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, and will house their collection of film-related objects and motion picture memorabilia. Originally scheduled to open in 2017 at a cost of $250-million, the project has faced several delays and increased expenses reportedly due to complex construction challenges.
Architect Renzo Piano and Gensler are designing the 300,000-square-foot project, which is rising on the LACMA Campus. A shell of the historic 1939 May Company department store - now named the Saban Building after the museum's principal donors - is being rehabilitated to serve as the primary exhibition space. Immediately north of the landmarked building is a 120-foot-tall concrete-and-glass sphere, which will feature two theaters, restaurant spaces, a shop and an open-air domed terrace.
The Academy Museum of Motion Pictures is currently anticipated to open sometime in 2020.
